As tough as it may be to do so, everyone has to let last week's disappointment go and see the signs for better days ahead

With the return to practice of running back Arian Foster, left, and wide receiver Andre Johnson, second from right, the Texans brought back the star power Wednesday when they hosted Julio Jones (11) and his Falcons teammates at the Methodist Training Center.

With the return to practice of running back Arian Foster, left, and...

We thought the Texans were going to be smarter going into Saturday's preseason opener at Arizona. They weren't. We thought they were going to be mentally tougher. They weren't. We thought they were going to play with more urgency. They didn't. We thought the coaching was going to be better. It wasn't.

There has to be a statute of limitations for analysis of a preseason opener. It's hard not to dwell on such a pathetic performance by the Texans. Some fans probably won't get over it until the second preseason game Saturday night at NRG Stadium.

Get over it. Four days is enough time to wallow in the misery. This is Day Five. It's time to move on.

Translator

To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.

If Wednesday morning's workout at Methodist Training Center is an indication, the Texans have moved on. Their opponents for the next game, the Atlanta Falcons, were already here to practice against the Texans. They will do it again Thursday.

It was apparent the Texans haven't been standing still since the loss to the Cardinals. Promising rookie guard Xavier Su'a-Filo has become a starter. Three running backs were cut. Two others arrived.

More importantly, starting running back Arian Foster was back in pads and participating in some drills after missing much of training camp with an hamstring injury. Same for Andre Johnson. The best news for the Texans was the return to limited duty of linebacker Brian Cushing.

Coach Bill O'Brien wouldn't commit to using Foster or Johnson in Saturday's game. Cushing almost certainly won't play. But the team is beginning to look more like the Texans we expected to see this season than the Texans we saw Saturday.

"Definitely, definitely," O'Brien said. "Again, that was one game in a 20-game season. You've got three more preseason and then 16 regular season. So, you know, that one game wasn't very good. … But these guys came back to work on Monday.

"I believe we're better now than we certainly were at this point last week."

Yikes on Yates

Another familiar face on the field Wednesday was Falcons backup quarterback T.J. Yates, who finished fourth in a three-man race among Texans quarterbacks in offseason workouts. But he looked good for the Falcons in their preseason-opening 16-10 win over Miami. He threw for 127 yards, which is 29 more than three Texans quarterbacks combined for Saturday.

Considering the difficulties Fitzpatrick had in that game and the difficulties Case Keenum and Tom Savage have had in workouts, you have to wonder if …

But this is a new week. We're turning the page.

The observation from an untrained eye was the Texans and Falcons looked about the same Wednesday. Technically, the Falcons won because the coaches agreed the outcome would be decided by which team needed fewer plays to score from inside the opponent's 25 at the end of the 21/2-hour workout.

The Texans needed a few plays to score on a touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to DeAndre Hopkins, the Falcons only one before wide receiver Harry Douglass make an exceptional catch over the middle from quarterback Matt Ryan. But if tackling had been allowed, Jadeveon Clowney or J.J. Watt probably would have sacked Ryan.

We'll all get a closer look on "Hard Knocks," the HBO series that is featuring the Falcons during training camp. The Falcons, whose 4-12 record last season was marginally more disappointing than the Texans' 2-14, emphasized during the first two episodes their renewed intensity.

Penalties aplenty

Coach Mike Smith said the Falcons had to "man up,'' going so far as to declare he wouldn't mind his players taking penalties for aggressiveness or coming to the aid of teammates.

If Smith wants to see penalties, he came to the right place.

It's still baffling that the Texans, who were penalized for more yards than all but one team last season, were penalized Saturday for more yards than any team except one in this preseason. You'd think if there was one thing the virtually new coaching staff would have fixed by now, it would be that.

Maybe they have now. Those penalties occurred last week.

Although officials worked Wednesday's workout, there were relatively few whistles. Neither team could have been called chippy, like the Falcons and Titans were when practicing against each other last week. There were not even any real hard knocks.

The Texans need to get better. They often lost last season because the defense became demoralized by the offense's ineptitude. Against Arizona, the Texans' defense allowed two touchdowns before Fitzpatrick threw his first interception.